Hiring a house sitter -- how?
July 5, 2021 7:44 AM   Subscribe

We're going to need a house and cat sitter for a month plus later this year. How do we find a reliable sitter, what should we expect to pay, and what should we expect them to do? Have you hired a housesitter? What worked for you? What did you wish you had done?

We know no one who has ever hired a house sitter (yay American leave policies). We have two three-year-old cats who are now very accustomed to having someone in the house all day. We are in the burbs, and any sitter would be best having access to a car Ride services do come out here and it's bikeable if you don't mind not having a bike lane.
posted by JawnBigboote to Travel & Transportation (19 answers total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
I frequently petsit through Trusted Housesitters, which has a yearly fee as a site but does not charge anything per sit (it's a straight exchange, and the petsitters typically use it for traveling). I work remotely so I'm in the house during the day, though some travelers might be gone part of the day. It's pretty common to see listings on the site saying that the sitter will need a car. I've stayed at a couple of places where the homeowners let me use their car, since I'd flown there.
posted by pinochiette at 7:53 AM on July 5, 2021 [4 favorites]


Another vote for Trusted Housesitters. We’ve had a great experience with them, and friends and family have, also. Never had any issue.
posted by kittygrandma at 7:55 AM on July 5, 2021


Go to your local homeless shelter and ask the staff if they can refer someone reliable.
posted by aniola at 8:00 AM on July 5, 2021 [1 favorite]


We’ve never hired a house sitter, but during long absences we’ve offered our place to folks in our network who needed a place to stay (between leases, after a breakup, while caregiving etc.) It may be worth reaching out to local friends/family/coworkers to see if they know someone who’d be able to use the space. It’s worked out well for us.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 8:06 AM on July 5, 2021


We've had fantastic luck through our vet's office. Many vet techs pet- and housesit on the side. You'll need to decide if you want them there for x amount of time each day/sleep over or not/send an update or photo every x number of days/plant watering/bringing in mail or having it held at the post office.
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 8:12 AM on July 5, 2021 [10 favorites]


If you are in Northern California, I can send you a personal recommendation for someone who has years of experience with housesitting and caring for pets for pay. She's great.
posted by Bella Donna at 8:13 AM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]


Just to cover the "old-fashioned" approach, do you have any friends/neighbors/family who can recommend someone? I housesat a house and dog for relatives before who lived one town over from me.
posted by Meldanthral at 10:10 AM on July 5, 2021 [1 favorite]


Just yesterday we returned from a long trip, my 20-year-old niece was our house/dogsitter. She is home from college and was over the moon at the opportunity to live in a real house with no roommates (her ordinary summer digs sound like a normal house of college student sublets- crowded, noisy, fun... in moderation). She was agog that we even wanted to pay her. She stayed here and kept going to her normal part-time summer job (and kept on the sublease at her sublet) and just enjoyed the quiet and hanging out with the dog.

So maybe look to relatives/friends who are college kids or have college age kids. I know that as an introvert nothing could have been better for me than a house without people and with dogs. Even keeping up with paying at a dorm/house, it would have been worth it .
posted by Gray Duck at 10:34 AM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]


A recent add-on to the "old-fashioned" approach is to reach out to friends/family from afar who are still working from home. This of course works better if your location is at least semi-desirable, but I know a lot of people who are eager to get out of town even if it just means doing their job in different scenery.
posted by coffeecat at 10:53 AM on July 5, 2021 [1 favorite]


Seconding the college student/young adult recommendation. My daughter is a rising junior and has been house/pet sitting all summer. She has gigs lined up through the fall… a great way for her to earn a little money and not interfere with her other responsibilities.
posted by pearlybob at 11:18 AM on July 5, 2021


Definitely check at the vet clinic; a lot of petsitters leave business cards with them!
posted by The otter lady at 11:37 AM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]


When you find someone, be sure to do a short trial run first. Find somewhere to go for a weekend, and have them petsit, to make sure there's a good match.

Our city has a very professional full-time petsitting service, and they themselves require a short trial stay to make sure the pet is comfortable with the set-up.
posted by dum spiro spero at 1:44 PM on July 5, 2021 [1 favorite]


To expand on my "go visit the local homeless shelter".

I did a lot of petsitting with my partner when we were pseudohomeless (we were living in our house before it was done being built), and it was so nice to have a shower and a place to cook and to stay where we didn't have to sneak around. And it was a delight to spend time with all the pets we got to know. One couple said that we were the only people who had ever petsat their ancient cats that, when the couple got home, the cats didn't revenge-pee on their bed. I think it was because we were there a lot, and we gave their cats exactly the love and attention they needed. And then after the house was done being built, we kept our regulars, and it was a nice part-time job for us. I can still tell you the various names and personalities of the pets we sat.

I have also volunteered at homeless shelters and in communities that have overlap with the homeless community. In these places, everybody knows each other, they spend a lot of time together. If you asked me, I would have had no trouble recommending excellent candidates.

Seriously, the ability to stick it out at a homeless shelter? It takes a LOT of patience to be able to live crammed like a sardine, to follow the abundant strict rules, and to take it in stride. Things like "You must be here no earlier than 5pm and no later than 6pm. You must leave here no earlier than 7am and no later than 8am." Snoring. And more.

Get a solid recommendation from a homeless shelter, ask around to verify, and you get someone known to be reliable. You get someone who has time on their hands, and who probably needs the cash and alone time more than most people you know. Your cats get piles of love and attention.
posted by aniola at 2:21 PM on July 5, 2021 [4 favorites]


To answer the part about cost. We live in Albuquerque NM and pay our house sitter $100 a day. She makes three separate visits per day and cares for/walks our two dogs. She also feeds the cat, feeds the chickens, does mail and trash and waters my plants. She is 110% reliable, professional, not flaky, and has been proven to be invaluable in an emergency. She is also insured Iin case anything goes wrong. The peace of mind is worth the price and then some.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 2:25 PM on July 5, 2021 [1 favorite]


It helps to set clear expectations, especially with younger adults. It also gives them a chance to decline the job if it's not a good fit. For example:

- What to feed the cat and when, and what to do if they don't eat.
- If the cat throws up or seems off, what do want them to do?
- How many hours per day do you want them to spend with the cat?
- How many hours of the night do you want them actually at the house with the cat?
- Are you ok with boyfriends, friends, or their own pets coming over?
- Are you ok if they delegate and send somebody else over in their place (other than in an emergency and with permission)?
- Do you want them to bring in the mail and sign for packages?
- Do you plan to have cameras set up in some places?
- Are you inviting them to enjoy foods, beverages, and garden produce?
posted by dum spiro spero at 2:25 PM on July 5, 2021 [5 favorites]


We've been pet/housesitting in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the US for over three years now. We use Trusted Housesitters in the US. There's a newer site called (I think) Housesitters America as well, which we're signing up with (same company that does Kiwi Housesitters, so our reviews will transfer over). These sites vet the sitters, and you can read reviews of sitters who have applied for your listing.

Some sites charge a membership fee for sitters and sittees, some just charge sitters. Apart from that there's no fees, it's a straight trade of service for lodging.

It's possible to get a dud sitter, but there are sitters who take it seriously and provide great pet care (like us! We've looked after 57 cats, 4 dogs and a cockatiel in 8 different countries).

Memail me if you want some tips on creating an attractive listing and reading between the lines of sitter reviews.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 5:54 PM on July 5, 2021 [7 favorites]


T.H., a vet clinic, or sometimes an animal supply store. You're essentially looking for Batman's Alfred: someone courteous, and professional, who knows it's your home.

The person should be able to rotate packages, mail, sec cams, etc, as well. They're sort of you, while you're away.
posted by firstdaffodils at 9:00 PM on July 5, 2021


I've house/pet sit in Canada, the US, the Dominican, Vanuatu, and Spain. I've done it for free and I've done it for money. If you can afford to pay, pay! Even if you use a site like Trusted Housesitters, you can tip. My clients generally pay about $40 per day, though it depends on the location and length of stay. My longest sit was in Vanuatu for 4.5 months and next longest 3 months in Spain. I spent almost 3 years in Santa Monica and Venice in a 10 year period moving from house sit to house sit. I've sat dogs, cats, chickens, a turtle, and a mule.

For years I used TH exclusively and the clients I met through there ALWAYS preferred to contact me directly in future years and pay me because their experiences with others they met through the service were inconsistent. Yes, you can get lucky, but generally, like with all things, you get what you pay for.
posted by dobbs at 2:46 PM on July 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


I'll put in another rec for Trusted Housesitters!
posted by mkuhnell at 4:11 PM on July 6, 2021


« Older Which color wood stain would you use on pine to...   |   Risk analysis for Spring 2022 Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.